cONSULTING
Consulting for School Board Members
School Board Partners is committed to supporting school board members and superintendents who are aligned with the goal of providing a more equitable and representative education for every public school student.
Whole Board Consulting
Transform Your Board. Transform Your District.
School Board Partners offers whole board consulting that does more than train—it transforms. Through our Empowered Governance framework, we help school boards move from dysfunction to clarity, from compliance to leadership, and from reactive decision-making to bold, student-centered governance with clear metrics, goals, and outcomes.
If your board is ready to work better together, govern with purpose, and make decisions that improve outcomes for all students—SBP is your long-term partner for real change.
Whole board consulting
What We Offer:
Our consulting services are built for impact—not just improvement. We work alongside your full board, superintendent, and leadership team to reshape how you work and what you achieve. Our support includes:
-
We kick off with a high-impact, 1–2 day retreat designed to establish strong working relationships, aligned priorities, and the governance habits needed for a productive year. Retreats are customized and experiential—based on real data from your district and your meetings.
-
We offer virtual or in-person trainings tailored to the professional development needs of your board, with topics like Roles and Responsibilities, Robert’s Rules of Order, Policy 101, and School Finance 101. Each training includes follow-up technical assistance to support implementation of newly acquired skills.
-
We offer individualized coaching to support strong governance practices, improve board-superintendent relationships, and accelerate policy reform.
Full Board Coaching includes monthly board meeting observations and one-on-one coaching for each board member and the superintendent. Sessions focus on implementation feedback, policy development, and governance norms, with optional support for conflict resolution and leadership growth.
Board President & Superintendent Coaching provides targeted support through monthly meetings with the board president and superintendent (separately or together), focused on strengthening their working relationship, enhancing meeting effectiveness, and advancing professional development goals.
Comprehensive Coaching (Full Board + President & Superintendent) combines the benefits of both offerings, providing holistic support for the entire board and key leadership. This service ensures aligned priorities, stronger communication, and more effective governance across the leadership team.
-
We analyze how your board spends its time, provide concrete feedback, and help you refocus on the board’s core responsibilities: monitoring district performance and shaping policy that drives student success.
-
We support districts in developing high-impact policies and governance tools grounded in SBP’s Empowered Governance model. Working in collaboration with district leadership and the board, we adapt model policies and other key deliverables—such as agenda calendars, superintendent evaluations, and financial report templates—to reflect local context, regulatory requirements, and student-driven goals to improve outcomes.
-
All consulting is supported by SBP’s research-backed toolkit of customizable resources—including policy templates, meeting guides, and board evaluation tools—built to drive long-term change.
whole board consulting
Deliverables That Deliver Results
Our work is deliverable-driven. By the end of your partnership with SBP, your board will have:
Annual district performance goals
Superintendent evaluation process and policy
12-month board agenda calendar with detailed plan for data monitoring
Governance reorganization (e.g. committees, meeting structure, norms, governance policies, etc.)
Finance policies and improved financial reporting
Other high impact policy reforms (e.g., school closure, labor relations, student discipline, etc.)
Annual board self-evaluation
SBP PARTNER HUB
Regional Consulting
Building Stronger Communities, One Partner Hub at a Time
Founded in 2019, School Board Partners has grown to include a network of over 500 school board members and education leaders, forming several local networks. Recognizing the need for deeper engagement and support among these smaller groups, SBP has transformed these networks into Partner Hubs
SBP Partner Hubs centralize resources that promote learning and leadership development while connecting education communities nationwide in an effort to broaden local involvement.
SBP’s Partner Hubs aim to:
✓ Broaden Perspectives
✓ Accelerate Learning
✓ Increase Impact
✓ Enhance Networking
✓ Center Wellness
What We Offer:
Local Programming:
SBP tailors region-specific programming to meet the unique needs of school board members, helping them make informed decisions, strengthen governance, and build stronger community relationships. Examples include:
Region-specific workshops on strategic planning, governance, policy development, and teacher support
Inter-district convenings
Joint workshops with district leaders
Peer-to-peer mentoring
Wellness retreats
Networking Hubs:
Regional points of contact that facilitate connections among alumni and other education leaders in the area. By engaging with networking hubs, school board members can enhance leadership, improve communication and collaboration within their districts and across the region, foster a sense of community, and contribute to better student outcomes. Examples include:
Regular alumni meetings to share experiences and discuss relevant issues
Online platforms for communication (WhatsApp, Google Groups)
Mentorship programs connecting experienced alumni with newer members
Individual Consulting
Want personalized support as a board member?
While our consulting services focus on full boards, we also offer direct support through our National Policy & Governance Fellowship—the most comprehensive way for individual board members to grow, lead, and make meaningful policy change.
A National Community of Changemakers
When you’re board partners with SBP, you also become part of a growing network of nearly 500 school board leaders across 150+ districts, serving more than 7.7 million students. Our partners share insights, strategies, and support—because no one should have to govern alone.